Bewitched!
by Italian writer
Summary: Fairy tales can be dangerous, as Sapphire will soon find out during this unusual assignment, where danger comes from a most unexpected side. My greatest thanks to my thorough beta, girl in the glen.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Rannaghan Castle, Cardiff County, Scotland, UK.

It was a rainy day, like most Scottish days. Clouds were clustering in a sky that was getting darker and darker, the rain was quickly turning into a storm. A man and a woman materialized just outside the huge portal of the castle. Their clothes were not suited to the rainy weather and they had to take shelter to avoid getting soaked. The woman was clad in a blue dress made of a soft, thin fabric that didn't offer any protection from the cold, but she didn't seem to care. The man was wearing a grey suit with a polka-dotted blue tie. Both were definitely overdressed and looked quite incongruous in that harsh, uninviting environment.

They quickly took cover behind the portal's stone vault, brushing away the raindrops from their blond hair. The man asked his companion in a stern voice:

"Is there anybody inside?"

The woman touched the portal with both her hands and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she replied.

"No, it's empty. But the door is locked."

He made a small half smile.

"Not for long." He palmed the bolt and, with a swift movement of his wrist, forced the inner mechanism to unlock.

They entered the building, looking around inquisitively. The two were in a large hall, fully decorated with period furniture; it was clean, no dust had deposited on the furnishings and the lights were on. The man was the first to speak.

"This place looks inhabited." He didn't ask his partner if she was sure that the castle was empty, though; he knew that her probing powers never failed.

"I doubt they went for a walk in this weather. Maybe they fled?"

He looked at her with grey, questioning eyes.

"How could they have known we were coming?"

She considered briefly before continuing.

"Perhaps the time anomaly we have been sent to investigate has already taken them."

He nodded. "That's more likely. Can you feel anything?"

The woman concentrated as her eyes turned a bright blue and a deep rhythmic throb propagated around her. When her probe was finished she was confident of her reply.

"No. Time flows normally here."

The man needed something more.

"Let's walk around and search for anything out of the ordinary."

The two partners started walking briskly in the castle's numerous rooms. All were in perfect condition, clean and elegantly furnished. The kitchen was huge and could have accommodated at least thirty people.

The woman easily observed the room's use.

"It looks like this dwelling hosted a large family, and was probably helped by a good service staff. No one could run this place alone."

"Then where is everyone?"

Her answer began with a smile.

"That's what we have been sent here to find out, I suppose."

A derisive snort accompanied his response to that.

"I wish they bothered to enlighten us on what we should expect on our assignments and on what they want us to accomplish."

She was still smiling at him.

"They probably don't know themselves. I think they just _perceive_ that there's something wrong with time, but they cannot pinpoint what the exact problem is and how to correct it."

"And how do you propose _we_ pinpoint it now?"

Before she could reply, they both heard a muffled sound coming from a small door concealed in one of the kitchen walls. The man didn't hesitate: in a split second he was in front of the door and flung it open. It was a pantry, and he could see what the source of the sound was: a cat was trying to open a packet of food. The animal didn't seem frightened by the two strangers, and indignantly walked out of the pantry, jumped on the kitchen table and sat in a regal pose, languidly swinging its tail. Its hair was pitch black, with eyes green as emeralds. It was wearing a collar with a word written on it. The man approached the cat to read the letters, but as soon as he reached with his hand, the cat scratched it, leaving five bleeding marks. He immediately withdrew his hand, startled by the attack. He removed a handkerchief from a pocket and applied it over the scratches to wipe the blood, mumbling as he did so.

"Treacherous creature."

He half expected a light-hearted remark and an amused smirk from his partner, but the woman was unsmiling.

"That's a very unusual behaviour for a cat. They usually warn with hisses and flat ears before scratching. And it should be running from you now, not just sitting there placidly as if nothing happened."

The man cast a disapproving look at the animal.

"Maybe I trespassed into its comfort zone. It is true that it doesn't look too ruffled, though. And these scratches burn like fire."

She approached him. "Let me have a look." But when he removed the handkerchief, they both could see that his skin was undamaged; no red marks were visible.

Her concern was assuaged with relief at the clear looking skin.

"Steel, that was very quick."

But he shook his head. "No, Sapphire. My elemental powers could not have healed the skin so fast. And I can still feel it burning. There's something very unusual about this cat."

When they turned to look at the animal, it was gone. They looked around, but it was nowhere to be seen.

When Sapphire glanced at her partner again, she was surprised to see him sitting on a chair, holding his injured hand with a pained expression in his eyes.

"Steel? Are you all right?"

"Not quite. My whole arm is hurting now. And the burning is spreading over my entire body."

She approached him with a worried expression.

"Maybe the cat's paws were poisonous."

He was baffled.

"Are there poisonous cats on Earth?"

"No, but perhaps its paws were soaked in some kind of venom."

"It would be dead, by now. I saw it licking its claws after it scratched me. No, Sapphire, we must find that cat: I'm sure it has something to do with the reason we were sent here."

Puzzled, she asked him, "Do you think that creature is causing some kind of time anomaly?"

He shook his head. "No, not concerning time, but an anomaly nonetheless. You just suggested it's not an ordinary cat."

"No. You stay here until the burning has subsided, I'll go looking for the cat."

He didn't object, and that was what worried her the most. He must really be in pain, she thought, to stay behind and let her go.

While she was walking out of the kitchen, she heard his voice in her mind: "_Be careful, Sapphire. If you find it, stay away from its claws."_

She sent out a reassuring thought and kept searching for the cat.

She realized it was a daunting task; the castle was huge and she was looking for a very stealthy creature. Its black colour didn't help, either. It could hide in any dark corner and she would miss it entirely. She was still searching the extensive dining room, when she heard a strange sound coming from the kitchen. She sent out a questioning thought: _"Steel? What was that sound?"_

No answer, and the sound got louder. She anxiously ran back to the kitchen to check on her partner. When she entered the room, she was confronted with an appalling sight: Steel was on the floor, convulsing. She knelt at his side and tried to keep him from hurting himself. He was banging his head against the floor, but the seizure didn't seem to subside. The only thing she could do was to support his head to avoid any more banging, but she couldn't help him when his teeth bit his lower lip, drawing blood. She probed deep into his mind, but he had completely shut off from her.

She tried not to panic and called him.

"Steel? Please, stop it. You're hurting yourself. Steel!"

The man didn't answer, but the seizure gradually lessened. When the convulsions finally subsided, she tried calling him again.

"Steel? Can you hear me?"

He didn't answer, but his eyes started to flutter. When he finally opened them, she could see that they were a strange green colour, much different from their usual grey-blue shade. It only lasted a few seconds, though, and soon they returned to their customary colour. He gazed at her with a look she could not read, very different from all his usual expressions.

After a few moments, he said: "Sapphire. At last."

Baffled, she asked: "What do you mean?"

He got up and brushed his clothes as if nothing had happened, licking the blood from his injured lip: "Merely that I feel good, at last. The burning has gone."

The woman was flabbergasted.

"You just had a seizure, Steel. Hardly an ordinary reaction for a few cat scratches."

He shrugged. "I guess I'm allergic to cats, that's all. There's no need to go looking for that creature, it's probably hiding in some invisible place. We should not waste our time with it. I'm sure it's unimportant."

Sapphire protested in spite of Steel's reassurances.

"A few minutes ago you said that the cat's probably something to do with the anomaly we have been sent to investigate, and now you say it's unimportant?"

"I simply changed my mind. I'm entitled to it, am I not?" He spoke with what sounded like a very uncharacteristic prickly tone.

She answered him, still confused by the situation.

"Yes, of course you are. So what should we do now?"

"We should keep searching the castle. We will find what we are looking for, sooner or later."

Her reply was cautious. "Very well."

The two partners resumed their exploration, but Sapphire wasn't sure what she was supposed to look for. She was still quite confused by Steel's behaviour, but her confusion increased when he proposed a new plan.

"I think we should split, this castle is too big. You go upstairs and I stay downstairs."

"Are you sure it's safe?"

His temper almost flared at her question. "Of course I'm sure. You don't trust my judgement anymore?"

She was used to his temper tantrums, but they were usually triggered by her failing an important task, not by a simple question. She was so baffled that she didn't object.

"Very well. What am I supposed to look for?"

"How should I know? Anything out of the ordinary, I would say. I will meet you upstairs as soon as I have finished searching the ground floor." That said, he hastily left her alone, without even asking her to be careful, which was totally out of character.

Trying not to think about her partner's odd behaviour and to concentrate on her assignment, Sapphire walked up the grand staircase and started looking into the many bedrooms and bathrooms of the first floor.

The first three bedrooms contained double beds, but only one of them looked inhabited. The other three bedrooms looked like children's rooms, judging from the many toys they contained. When Sapphire reached the last one, she stopped, feeling something unusual in the atmosphere. Before she had a chance to investigate further, she heard a muffled sound coming from under the bed. The cat, maybe? Or possibly a child, spared from the incident that took his or her family, and now hiding in fear.

She cautiously knelt down and lifted the heavy quilt to have a look, but all she could see under the bed were three dolls. They were very unusual, though, so she decided to have a closer look at one of them. She reached with her hand under the bed and grabbed the closest doll with her fingers, but she felt a stinging pain. She immediately withdrew her hand, stunned: it positively felt like a bite. Indeed, the back of her hand was bleeding and showing unmistakable tooth marks. She had no time to tend to her injured hand as another sound, louder this time and coming from behind her, made her spin around abruptly. She could not believe her own eyes. All the toys in the room were moving, as if they were alive! She was so startled she did not fully comprehend the danger. The toys – at least three dozen of them – were rapidly approaching her. Before she realized what was going on, they all attacked her. Some of them were harmless, but others were either using their weapons or their teeth and limbs to hurt her. Their sheer number prevented her from escaping, for even though the toys were small their strength was overwhelming. They made her stumble and fall to the ground where they rapidly overpowered her. She was literally covered in toys, and all of them were biting, punching, kicking, and stinging her with their spears, knives and rifles. Blood was now oozing out of countless small wounds, and the blows and kicks were leaving painful red marks.

She instinctively sent out a mental cry for help to Steel, but she received no answer. She then cried out his name, but once again only silence answered her desperate call. She realized she had to get out of that terrible situation alone, before being completely overwhelmed by the deadly toys. Despite the fear and the pain, she forced herself to concentrate. Her eyes once again turned a bright blue, and the woman fought to take time back. Slowly, excruciatingly, her efforts started to warp the time fabric, and the minutes flowed backwards. She kept her concentration until one moment before she entered the room. When her eyes lost her brightness, she was standing in front of the closed door, unhurt. Her hand was on the knob, but she hastily withdrew it, frightened. She ran downstairs and called her partner.

"Steel! Where are you?"

His voice answered her from the recesses of the house.

"Over here. In the servants' quarters."

She ran to her partner, still shocked by the terrible danger she had just fled.

"Steel, the toys in one of the upstairs bedrooms just attacked me!"

He looked at her with what positively looked like a scornful glance.

"Say again?"

"The toys were alive! They attacked me with bites, blows and weapons. They hurt me. They wanted to kill me. I barely managed to take time back and save myself."

"Sapphire, do you realize what you're saying? You were attacked by _toys_? You don't expect me to believe that, do you?"

The woman was more surprised than disappointed by her partner's disbelief.

"We have seen things more strange than that, Steel. Why don't you believe me? And, above all, why should I lie to you?"

"I don't think you're lying to me, Sapphire, I just think that you suffered some sort of... hallucination."

"I have never hallucinated before. Why should I start now?"

He shrugged, unconcerned.

"Well, probably the atmosphere somehow influenced you."

She was more and more taken aback by her partner's odd reactions.

"The atmosphere? Steel, we have worked in far more sinister places. And why didn't you answer my mental call?"

He looked even more uninterested.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you. I was probably too busy searching this place."

She realized that she would accomplish nothing, so she just stopped debating, but she could not help thinking that Steel wasn't himself since the cat scratched him. Probably the poison, or whatever it was that hurt him, was still in his blood stream and was somehow affecting his responses.

While she was still trying to justify his behaviour with some logical explanations, he spoke to her.

"Look, I'll go upstairs and you take care of the rooms downstairs. How does that sound?"

She cast him an astonished look.

"It sounds like a bad idea. I insist we should not separate."

He lost his patience again. "Oh, come on, Sapphire, quit acting like a scared child! You're a professional operator, and I expect you to behave as such. Now stop discussing all my orders and kindly do as I say."

That said, he stiffly left the room and walked upstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Still dazed by the oddness of this entire situation, Sapphire absent-mindedly searched the downstairs rooms, still not knowing what she was supposed to look for. Something out of the ordinary, Steel said, but everything was out of the ordinary in this assignment, and her partner was certainly ranking first. Still lost in these thoughts, she did not realize that a thick, white smoke was coming down from the staircase. But then she heard Steel's voice, yelling: "Sapphire! Help me! I'm trapped in a burning room!"

She ran upstairs as fast as she could, following the smoke. It was coming out from the first bedroom on the left, one of the uninhabited ones. She opened the door, taking care to cover her hand with her dress to avoid getting burned by the hot handle. The room was completely engulfed in fire, which was roaring toward her, now that it found another source of oxygen through the open door. She hastily retreated and barely avoided the backfire. The heat was unbearable, but Sapphire knew she had to get into the room to find her partner. He was probably lying in there, almost suffocated by the smoke; he was not calling her anymore, and he still wasn't answering her desperate mental calls. She called him aloud, trying to pinpoint his location.

"Steel! Where are you? I can't see you."

She heard a faint: "Over here!" from the farthest corner of the room, then nothing. Thinking furiously, she ran to the nearby bathroom, yanked the shower head from its support, turned the tap open and soaked herself in cold water. She also wet a towel and wrapped it around her head and face. Sapphire ran back to the burning room and boldly went inside that inferno. The wet clothes were helping, but she could already feel the heat licking her exposed skin. Her hands and legs were covered with blisters, but the woman refused to stop looking for her partner. She knew he was somewhere in there, counting on her to take him out of that nightmare. She couldn't fail him now, and she certainly could not let him die because of a few blisters.

Sapphire kept looking for Steel, challenging the searing heat and the hungry flames. She searched the whole room, but he was nowhere to be seen. Her vision suddenly blurred, but she thought it was the smoke making her eyes water, not realizing that her lungs were saturated with smoke and that she couldn't breathe anymore. Her consciousness fading, she collapsed on her knees. But then her clothes took fire, and the sudden surge of adrenaline gave her the strength she needed to run outside the room. She barely crossed the threshold, when the whole ceiling collapsed in a cacophony of falling beams and stones. The enormous amount of dust was enough to quench the fire. The woman fell to the ground and rolled on her sides to extinguish her still burning clothes, but then her strength faded and she slowly surrendered to unconsciousness.

* * *

When Sapphire came to, she realized she was lying on one of the living room sofas. Steel was sitting on a chair beside her, a stern expression in the cold eyes. She let out an audible sigh of relief, overjoyed at seeing him alive.

"Thank goodness, Steel, you're all right. How did you make it out of that inferno?"

He answered her in an uncharacteristically cold voice: "I was never in there, Sapphire. And I would like you to explain why you decided to enter a burning room."

She abruptly raised her back from the sofa, stricken by his words.

"What do you mean, why? _Because you called me_. You asked me to help you out of that room, you were trapped in there."

"I most certainly was not. The room was on fire because of an electrical short circuit. As soon as I realized that, I fled the first floor, and I even yelled at you not to come upstairs. You probably just misunderstood my words."

"But then why didn't I meet you on the staircase?"

He shrugged. "Probably because I was already downstairs, looking for you. You behaved quite carelessly, Sapphire, I'm disappointed."

Now she was almost yelling. "Disappointed? I almost burnt alive trying to save you, and all you can say is that you're disappointed?"

He raised his voice, too. "Well, I certainly cannot say that I'm happy with your performance so far, Sapphire. You're handling this assignment less than professionally, and that's not like you. You must try to focus on your job from now on."

When he stood and left, she felt tears stinging at the corner of her eyes, but refused to let them fall. She tried to keep remembering that he was not himself because of the venomous substance that the cat's scratches let loose in his body, but she could not help feeling hurt by his mistreatment.

She slowly stood, noticing that her elemental nature had already healed her burns and blisters. She briefly concentrated and instantaneously changed her clothes. Now she was wearing blue trousers and a matching blouse. She felt the need of wearing something more protective and comfortable, this time.

Sapphire decided to go looking for Steel, hoping that his fit of temper had subsided. Since she could not see him anywhere, she decided to test their mental connection.

"_Steel? Can you hear me? Steel?" _

Nothing. It didn't even feel like he was purposely not responding; it felt like they were completely disconnected. It was the first time she could not hear his thoughts in her mind, and she didn't like the feeling at all. She had never realized before how much she relied on their mental link to find strength and support.

Sapphire was unhappily wandering about the large hall, when she heard a muffled growl coming from somewhere behind her. She turned and heard it again. The sound was coming from the library. Maybe the cat was hiding in there. Sapphire slowly opened the door, but the room was completely dark. It had no windows, and she had to turn the lights on to see what was inside. When the room was flooded by light, there was still no cat.

Sapphire closed the door to prevent the animal from running outside, briefly wondering how it had _entered_ in the first place, since the door had always been closed. The room sported a few pieces of furniture: two large and comfortable-looking stuffed armchairs, a small table, a chair and a few floor lamps. All the walls were covered with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled with what looked like rare and very expensive books. Sapphire slowly walked around to find where the cat was hiding, remembering to stay away from its claws. She was looking for a small, although potentially dangerous, creature, not expecting what suddenly appeared in front of her from behind one of the armchairs: a big, black and snarling dog. It was growling threateningly at her, showing big, white fangs.

Sapphire slowly retreated, trying to move toward the door, remembering to avoid any sudden moves. The dog's hair was standing on its back, and she knew that it was assessing her. It probably decided that she was not a threat, but a potential prey, since it attacked and jumped at her, fast as lightening. It was a big animal, and its leaping momentum slammed her to the floor. Screaming, she instinctively raised her harm to protect her exposed throat. The dog's teeth plunged in her soft flesh, causing a blinding pain. She felt her forearm's bone break under the terrible pressure. She fought to remain conscious; she knew that if she let the pain overtake her she would doom herself to certain death. Sapphire tried to ignore the searing pain and desperately concentrated on teleporting away. The dog increased the crushing pressure of its powerful jaw, and Sapphire knew that she couldn't bear the pain anymore. She shut her eyes, sure that she would not open them again.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Despite her desperate situation, Sapphire managed to teleport away one split second before losing consciousness. She reappeared outside the library and slowly realized that she was safe although she could hear the dog furiously scratching at the closed door.

Sapphire's arm was hurting terribly, and she dared not move from her prone position on the ground. After a good fifteen minutes, still breathing heavily, the pain to her tattered arm slightly subsided, allowing her to slowly sit up. Only then did she find the courage to look at her injury. As expected, it was a mess of blood and torn tissue. Sapphire needed help, but she loathed calling Steel: he would reprimand her again, telling that she had been careless once more.

But before she resolved whether or not to call him, she heard his voice coming from behind her.

"Sapphire! What's going on?"

Steel kneeled beside her, a worried expression in the grey eyes. When he saw her injured arm, he was distraught.

"What happened to your arm?"

Relieved that he was behaving normally once again, Sapphire's voice reflected how shaken she was by the incident when she replied.

"I was attacked by a dog. It's in the library. I managed to teleport outside just in time."

He asked, baffled: "A dog? But where? I already checked the library, and it was empty."

She shook her head, frustrated: "I don't know. But I could not have made up these wounds, could I?"

"Of course not. I'll go take a look."

He stood up and headed toward the library. She called after him.

"Wait! Don't go in there! That animal is blind with fury and is extremely dangerous. It will attack you as well."

He turned and smiled a reassuring smile at her.

"Don't worry. I know that it's in there and I will be ready to protect myself. I think I can take care of a dog, as big and angry as it might be."

Sapphire knew that he was indeed capable of subduing a dog that size, but she could not help remembering what a small and rather harmless-looking cat did to him less than a couple of hours earlier. She also knew that it was no use trying to talk him into not doing something when he had already made up his mind. So she just braced herself when he slowly opened the library door, half expecting to hear those frightful snarls again.

But all she heard were Steel's soft footsteps while he cautiously entered the room. He closed the door behind him, and Sapphire trembled at the thought of what the dog could do to her partner.

A few minutes went by, and still all she could hear from the library was silence. When Steel finally opened the door he left it open, looking at her with a quizzical expression.

"There's nothing in there, Sapphire. And, before you start arguing again, look for yourself."

He helped her stand up; leaning heavily on her partner, she slowly approached the threshold. Peeping inside, she could see that nothing was lurching behind the armchairs.

Sapphire shook her head, frustrated: "I don't understand."

Steel wondered at that, but more important was tending to Sapphire's wounds.

"Let's take care of your injured arm first. We'll try to understand later. Let's go to the kitchen; I'll bandage your wound."

Feeling docile as Steel led her to the kitchen, Sapphire allowed him to seat her on one of the chairs while he looked for a first aid kit. After finding it in the pantry the first step was to disinfect the wound.

The skin and muscles were badly torn, but the most painful injury was the broken bone. Steel treated and bandaged her forearm and then applied a stick, followed by another layer of bandage to immobilize Sapphire's arm.

"There. Is that better?"

Sapphire's beautiful face brightened a little as she managed a weak smile.

"Yes, thank you. Much better. The bone should mend in a few hours. Where did you learn to treat injuries so well?"

He almost looked embarrassed at her question. "I probably read it in some book, I really don't remember. Now, why don't I make some tea? I'm sure that will help."

She sighed thankfully. "Oh, yes, I would love some hot tea."

While Steel was putting a kettle on the stove, she considered how different his current behaviour was. Now he almost seemed _too_ thoughtful, which was as uncharacteristic as his previous uncaring manners. Or maybe it was just her. All the injuries she was suffering during this assignment were probably just affecting her judgement. She was so glad Steel was not mistreating her anymore that she didn't feel like exploring the nagging feeling too deeply.

Five minutes later, Steel served her a cup of hot, steaming tea. She slowly sipped the beverage, taking comfort from the warmth and the tangy taste. A tad too tangy, she thought. Well, Steel was not used to eating or drinking, so she could not expect him to be able to fix a perfect tea, could she?

"Have some more." He urged her, filling her cup again. "It'll help your body mend your injuries."

When she was half way through her second cup of tea, she started feeling very odd. Her belly was hurting, and her head was getting heavier and heavier. Her thoughts grew foggy even as she realized the tea probably contained some kind of poison. Now she was sure: Steel was trying to kill her. He had been since the incident with the dolls.

Holding her belly, she asked in a pained voice.

"What have you done to me?"

Steel stood and looked at her with a triumphant, wicked smile. His eyes were emerald green again.

"I got you this time. You won't escape my revenge."

Sapphire was baffled.

"Revenge?"

Steel maintained an eerie stare, but did not answer. He looked like he was savouring the moment. Sapphire concentrated on those frightening green eyes, and finally recognized them.

She whispered the terrifying truth.

"Sabrina. The Time Witch."

The false Steel's reply was exultant, taunting Sapphire in her distress.

"Yes! You remember me, after all these years. You will also remember what you did to me."

Now Sapphire was in serious pain, and she slid down to the floor, holding her burning belly.

"I did what I had to do to stop you. You were disrupting the time fabric. How did you escape your confinement?"

"I had a little help from Time itself. It wants me to resume my disrupting activities, but I wanted revenge first. So it let me set up this little trap, and both of you fell into it without suspicion. I have complete control over your beloved Steel's body. His mind is trapped in here, you know, but he can see and hear what's happening to you. His very body contributed to arrange all the traps I devised to kill you. You have been disgustingly lucky so far, but you will not survive my poisonous tea. It's a lethal mix of herbs that will stop all your body functions. It's a slow and painful process. I estimate you have a few more minutes to live, but I expect you will beg me to kill you before that. And of course I won't; I want to savour every single moment of your sufferings."

Sapphire was not listening to Steel's voice anymore: she was fighting the terrible pain that now spread all over her body, and at the same time she was concentrating hard on a desperate mental call that she was sending out to her fellow elements. Maybe one of them was listening and could warn the authority that the terrible threat that called herself Sabrina was once again free. Many years ago she almost destroyed Earth itself; they had to stop her before she had a chance to resume her efforts. Sapphire was not worried for her own life, but she trembled with fear at the thought of what would happen to Steel when Sabrina didn't need his body any longer.

But soon she was overwhelmed by pain. Her conscious thoughts stopped and all she could do was scream in pain. She screamed and screamed, and Steel watched her with a satisfied smile, his green eyes gleaming with pleasure.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Soon Sapphire's body stopped twitching, and her body slowly relaxed. Sabrina knew that all her organs had stopped functioning, and she was now in a cataleptic state that was deeper than death itself. In a few hours her elemental body would start deteriorating and she would be dead for good. The only one that could stop that process was in no position to do anything, and most certainly didn't know about it.

The witch was enjoying the taste of revenge in her heart, taking pleasure also from the deep pain that Steel's soul was experiencing. She was in his mind, she knew how important Sapphire was to him and Sabrina was basking in his anguish.

She was reluctant to leave, wanting to prolong her moment of triumph, but she could feel Time anxiously calling her. The witch finally resolved to resume her original shape, but would drink her own poisonous tea, first, leaving Steel's body to die in the same pain that her foe Sapphire had suffered. Time would be very pleased: two priceless preys.

She turned to pour another cup of tea, but she stopped in mid-turn: a man was standing there, looking at her angrily. He was tall, young but with strange white hair and silvery eyes, and she didn't know him.

Before she had a chance to speak, the man said, in a deep, enraged voice: "What did you do to your partner, Steel?"

Sabrina tried to think furiously. She needed to know who the man was. "What makes you think I did anything to her? I was upstairs, and when I heard her screaming I came down here and found her on the ground, motionless. What are _you_ doing here?"

The man looked unsure. Good, Sabrina would easily convince him that she was on his side, and then would kill him as well. He was probably some other time agent that Sapphire somehow managed to summon.

The man answered, leaning down to check on the motionless elemental. "I heard Sapphire's mental call. She didn't have the time to explain what was happening to her, but I could feel her great pain." He felt for her pulse, and briefly closed his eyes in sorrow. "She's dead."

Sabrina managed to feign an anguished face. "Dead? How?"

The time agent rose, fury now radiating from all his body. "_You_ tell me how. She was _your_ partner, wasn't she? You were supposed to look after her, to protect her. How could you fail her?"

Sabrina feigned contempt. "Fail her? I didn't even know she was in trouble. Look at that cup." She said, pointing at the broken pieces of stoneware on the ground. "She probably drank something that killed her. I would have stopped her, had I known she was about to drink something taken from this house."

"And what about that bandaged arm?" The other man asked.

"She was attacked by a dog. I bandaged her arm. I helped her, you see?"

"And then you served her that cup. What did you give her, Steel? Some kind of poison?"

Sabrina made Steel's face twist with righteous anger. "Me? Do you think I poisoned my own partner? Do you realize what you're saying?"

She could see that now the man was slightly taken aback by Steel's rage. Maybe he was scared of him? Yes, of course. Steel was a very powerful element; the other man probably feared his powers. Sabrina forced Steel's body to take a few steps forward, threateningly, and was rewarded by a frightened look in the other man's eyes.

"If you insist in accusing me of such a serious charge, you must be prepared to defend your position."

The man swallowed, but managed an acceptably steady voice. "I don't want to clash with you, Steel. But you will have to respond to the Authority. You must come with me."

Sabrina's laughter sounded spine chilling in Steel's voice. "You will have to fight me first. You know very well what I could do to you." She was bluffing.

Now the time agent was positively scared. "You wouldn't freeze a fellow agent, would you?"

_Freeze!_ Of course, Sabrina thought. Now she remembered: Steel had the ability to plunge his body to absolute zero, freezing everything he touched. And _everybody_.

She raised Steel's hands and quickly approached the other time agent, who was now blinded with fear and trapped himself into a corner of the kitchen. They weren't very bright, these elements, after all, were they? The man shouted: "Steel, don't!"

Foretasting the pleasure of killing yet another time agent, Sabrina forced Steel's body to lower its temperature. When she felt that it had reached absolute zero, she grabbed the other man's shoulders and didn't let go. She saw fear in those weird silver eyes, but also something else she could not read. No matter: he would be dead in a few seconds.

Sabrina was triumphant.

"You know, I don't even know who you are."

Those strange eyes suddenly lost their frightened look, and hardened. His voice was not tinged with fear anymore, but with what suspiciously sounded like triumph: "My name is Diamond."

Sabrina realized that something was terribly wrong: the man's body was not freezing over, whereas Steel's body was starting to collapse, all his strength spent by the freezing process. Suddenly she remembered that diamonds were the hardest substance on Earth, and _could not be frozen_.

While Steel's body was slowly slumping to the floor, she also realized something else: she could not leave his body. Her essence was ebbing away, helplessly giving in to the unbearable low temperature. When she tried to escape Steel's body again, she realized that something was preventing her: Steel's will, now clutching at her with all his might. She was dying, and she knew it. Sabrina cried out to Time, asking for help, but it did not answer her. She was lost to it, and it didn't care about her anymore. Darkness engulfed her, and she breathed her last breath on Steel's lips.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

When Steel opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Diamond's worried face looking at him. He felt a source of warmth coming from behind him, and realized that Lead was holding him, and had been trying to warm him up for quite a while. When he moved, cautiously stretching his thawing muscles, Lead exclaimed in his booming voice: "About time, Steel. We were worried sick. You took forever to recover."

He slowly extricated himself from the other operator's embrace and stood up, still leaning on Lead for support. His voice was coarse when he answered: "That damned witch took complete control over my body. It took me a while to kill her."

When he could stand without assistance, he turned around, looking for his partner.

"Where's Sapphire?"

Diamond answered, not looking at him. "We put her on the sofa in the living room."

Steel asked: "How is she?"

Diamond couldn't find the courage to answer him, so Lead put one of his huge hands on Steel's shoulder and said, in a low voice: "She's gone, Steel."

Steel jerked his shoulder away from Lead's hold, and said, in a much louder voice: "Gone? She can't be!"

Lead answered: "I'm sorry, Steel."

Steel buried his chin in his chest. "Do you realize what that means, Lead? It means that I killed her. With my own hands."

The other element protested. "No, Steel, it wasn't you. It was the witch; you just said that she took complete control of your body. You could do nothing to stop her."

But Steel wasn't easily convinced. "Lead, I prepared that poison, I served her that lethal tea, I looked at her dying in terrible pain. I wanted to help her, so badly, but I couldn't; Sabrina wouldn't let me. You have no idea what my Sapphire had to endure. And not only was I not there to help her, but I participated in her destruction. I cannot withstand that."

Lead knew that Steel would not listen to reason, that he was too distraught by the tragic loss of his partner. Lead simply followed him, silently, when Steel headed toward the living room.

When Steel saw Sapphire lying on the couch, he couldn't help thinking that she looked very much alive, almost as if she was just sleeping peacefully. He kneeled beside her and took her hand. It was cold, and Steel could feel no pulse in her thin wrist. With his other hand he lightly stroked her bangs, murmuring, in a broken voice: "I'm so sorry, Sapphire. Diamond was right, I failed you."

Knowing very well that it was futile, but following his instinct, he initiated a mental link with Sapphire. He could not accept that she was gone, and stubbornly wanted to search for a spark of life. _"I wish I had your power to take time back, but no one is as talented as you. Or as beautiful."_ He leaned closer and could not resist kissing her cold lips, still so full and rosy. A teardrop slowly slid along the edge of his eyelid and fell on her cheek.

The other two agents averted their eyes, allowing him the privacy he needed to part from his partner forever. They both knew very well what Sapphire meant to Steel; she wasn't just a fellow operator, she also was the only one who had managed to crack his callous shell, his aloof veneer. She was brilliant, brave and indeed beautiful: Steel was bound to go through hell for losing her.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Sapphire was walking slowly, taking her time and enjoying the feeling of the sun on her face. She seldom had the chance to relax, and every occasion was priceless.

The path she was following led to a vast meadow with one single huge oak tree in the middle, the perfect place to rest. She sat with her back against the large trunk and closed her eyes, feeling her pale skin soak the sun's warmth.

How pleasant could this planet be, thriving and lush when not spoiled by the inhabitants. The place was so peaceful, Sapphire didn't even feel any animosity toward them, although sometimes she had a very difficult time trying to understand their illogical behaviour. But now she just wanted to enjoy this glorious day and not think about humans and their problems. She'd rather think about their best habits. Such as cooking: that activity never failed to relax her, and she enjoyed having someone enjoy her dishes. Someone like Lead. He always complimented her on her cooking. Sapphire's next thought, of course, was for Silver: as far as compliments were concerned, he was a master. He knew how to make a woman feel attractive, and sometimes he didn't even need to talk: all it took was an appreciative look or a charming smile. He instinctively knew that a woman needed to be constantly reminded of her beauty. Elements were no exception.

That line of thoughts led to her partner. Steel was still a mystery to her: sometimes Sapphire could read him easily, but other times even their mental link didn't help her understand him. She really didn't know what he thought about her, either as a colleague or as a woman. Steel never bothered to compliment her for a job well done, although she was well aware that her capabilities were quite valued in the community. Her powers often saved the day during their assignments, and they even saved his life more than once. Yet Steel never congratulated her, could only find blame when her strength was not enough to accomplish what he had in mind. He was ruthless, stern and mindless of other people's feelings.

And yet Steel was so brave. He feared nothing, and was always ready to fight a threat without worrying about his own safety. He was strong and dependable, he would never leave a fellow operator in serious troubles. Sapphire even saw him worrying about the life of a human being, although he always complained about their countless flaws.

And he was handsome: he had attractive, masculine features, grey eyes that sometimes turned a deep blue, and straight blond hair that she always wanted to stroke. He wasn't tall, but he had such a strong character that he was a giant to her eyes.

Sapphire knew she was harbouring conflicting feelings for him. And she was trying to remember something about him. Something important, that kept eluding her mind. She tried to focus on that elusive thought, but all she could discern was a vague feeling of disappointment.

"What have you done, Steel?"

Did she speak out loud? She didn't think so, but then she heard his voice calling her, although he was nowhere to be seen.

Yes, he was calling her, from a very great distance. Was it his mental voice? She probed deep into her mind, and she found him there. She knew they had been disconnected for quite a while, and feeling the caress of his voice in her mind was so soothing. He was still calling her, with a strange voice. She knew every shade of his voice, and she could easily tell that now he was distressed. Why?

She tentatively answered his call: _"Steel?"_

His voice grew louder when he answered: _"Sapphire? Is that really you?"_

She was surprised: _"Of course it's me. You've been calling me, haven't you?"_

Now he sounded elated: _"Yes! Yes, I've been calling you, but I didn't expect you to answer."_

She still didn't understand his words. _"Why? What happened?"_

"_You were poisoned by Sabrina, the Time Witch. Don't you remember?"_

Sapphire probed deep into her memory, and suddenly it was all there: the castle, the dolls, the fire, the dog, the poison, and... Steel. She said, disbelievingly: _"_You_ poisoned me. You wanted to kill me, have been since the attack by the dolls. Why, Steel?"_

Now his voice sounded apologetic: _"It wasn't me. I know it's hard to believe, but the Time Witch took control of my body. Do you remember the cat that scratched me? That's how she transferred her essence into my body."_

While Steel was mentioning those events, Sapphire remembered them, one by one. She remembered the cat, and the Time Witch. She was the one who wanted to kill her, had wanted revenge.

"_How did you defeat her?"_

"_When you were poisoned, you sent a mental call for help to our fellow operators. Diamond heard that call, and quickly understood what happened. He wasn't deceived by Sabrina, and figured out that someone was controlling me. So he decided to turn my own body against the entity possessing it. He tricked her – very cunningly, I must say – and made her drop my inner temperature. She realized that the cold was killing her essence only when it was too late."_

She was impressed. _"Very clever. But now I would like to know what happened to me."_

His voice changed again, and now sounded almost broken.

"_We thought you were dead."_

"_I can't be dead, since we are talking, but why can't I see you? Where am I?"_

"_You're on a sofa. I'm holding you. But now you should try to come back to your own body."_

She was disappointed that she could not feel his arms enveloping her. She also didn't feel like going back. She was resting so peacefully.

"_Sorry, Steel, I don't think I want to come back, now. It's so nice here. It's a beautiful day and I'm feeling so good that I don't want to leave. Ever."_

His uncharacteristically anxious voice moved her. _"You must come back, Sapphire. If you surrender, your body will soon die, and I will lose you for good this time."_

"_You will replace me with another element."_

"_Replace you? I could never replace you. You are my Sapphire. You are all I want."_

"_All you want is efficiency and perfection. All you want is to accomplish your assignments."_

Now he sounded hurt. _"Is that what you think?"_

"_That's what your behaviour leads me to believe."_

"_I thought you were able to see behind my behaviour."_

"_I am, but I see nothing more than a man who's too taken by his job to care about the people around him."_

Steel protested, upset by what Sapphire was saying.

"_You are not 'the people', Sapphire. You are my partner."_

"_I'm just a useful tool for your purposes."_

He was silent for a long time. Sapphire thought he had left, and she was almost relieved. She didn't like to argue with him, although she really needed to let him know how tired she was of his selfish attitude. But then he spoke again, and this time she couldn't interpret the shaking in his voice.

"_Now I realize my mistake: I took for granted that you knew my feelings."_

"_You have no feelings. Not for me, at any rate."_

"_You're wrong, Sapphire. The feelings I have for you are so strong that they scare me."_

Now she was astonished. _"I thought that nothing could scare you."_

"_My love for you does."_

Now it was her turn to be silent for a long time. His voice was worried again when he called her. _"Sapphire? Are you still there?"_

"_I am. I'm just having a hard time believing what you just said."_

"_What I just said is the truth. If you want proof, then come back to me."_

She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. She tried to picture his features in her mind. Sapphire recalled his handsome face, and deep down knew that she wanted to see him again. No, she _needed_ to see him again. She couldn't stay away from him for too long: he was her partner, and he was her love.

Suddenly Sapphire could not feel the sun warming her face anymore, could not feel the tree supporting her back. She was lying down, but she was supported by something softer than a tree. Sapphire lay in Steel's arms.

Something warm and strong was stroking her hair. She needed to see him. She fought the darkness trying to claim her, and she won. She blinked and opened her eyes at last.

Steel was watching her; his eyes were a deep shade of blue, and they were showing so much: worry, relief, joy, and another unmistakable look.

She smiled when she noticed the moisture in those eyes.

He smiled back to her.

"I thought I had lost you, Sapphire."

"You almost did, but your words brought me back to you."

"This is where you belong."

Steel bent down to kiss her, and his lips were so soft, Sapphire felt as though she was drowning in them. His kiss was so tender, yet so passionate, that she regretted waiting so long for this.

When their lips parted, they realized there was an audience of two elementals. Lead gave a little cough, his usual jovial voice showing some embarrassment at the scene he had just witnessed.

"Sapphire, I'm so glad you're back to life! Although I don't understand how you did it."

Diamond commented: "I think I can explain what happened. It's actually Steel's doing."

Steel was taken aback. "Really? What did I do?"

Diamond smiled eloquently. "You kissed her. And you spilled a tear on her skin. You broke the spell."

No one spoke for a long time. They were having a hard time believing Diamond's theory.

Steel, ever the down-to-earth element, objected to the idea of a fantasy.

"Don't be ridiculous. We are not in some children's fairy tale."

Diamond looked at him with his strange eyes. "Aren't we? Wasn't Sabrina a witch? Didn't she cast a spell on you by taking possession of your body? Don't you think she did the same thing with Sapphire? What she gave her was not a poison, it was another spell. And every spell can be broken, you just found the way to break this particular one. You really should read Snow White, Steel." He added that last comment with a smirk.

Steel looked at Sapphire, baffled. "What is he talking about?"

Sapphire was smiling. "Snow White was put under the spell of death by the Evil Queen, but Prince Charming gave her the kiss of love and broke the spell."

Lead commented, laughing at the notion of Steel as a Prince Charming.

"Well, what you gave Sapphire positively looked like a genuine kiss of love, Steel!"

Steel's indignant look elicited another laugh from the huge operator. "Don't worry, we will not mention it in our report. Is that right, Diamond?"

The other agent's silvery eyes were gleaming, when he answered.

"What is there to mention? Steel just saved Sapphire by recovering her mind through their mutual link. How does that sound, Steel?"

Steel straightened, his usual unemotional expression returning to the handsome face."It sounds like the only logical explanation. Spells, indeed." He mumbled, still unconvinced.

Sapphire cautiously stood with Steel's help, taking comfort from his solid and reassuring presence and from the re-established mental link. Her blue eyes were smiling when she said: "Perhaps you will be a charming prince someday, Steel."

A glimmer of humour was in his reply…

"Only Time will tell."

**THE END**


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